18 replies so far

Most gloves won’t protect against puncture. Even Kevlar gloves are best used when protecting against “slicing” motion. I use them when sharpening kitchen knives.Aprons? Old warriors found out very quickly that arrows would wound through chain mail. That’s why solid armor was developed.I don’t use any gloves while working with power tools, and only the Kevlar when sharpening edge tools.The apron is for the lathe. Keeps the chips off the clothes.Bill

The only time I wear gloves is when I am handling rough cut lumber to run through the jointer and planer. Too many slivers over the years to do otherwise. That said, I have a pair of leather gloves that are very tight fitting and they do not have the wrist drawstring that you find on many gloves. I really do not think that there is any safety issue with wearing these gloves. Any contact with the the tight glove would be a contact with my skin sans the glove. I do not see any potential issue of the glove catching in the tool and drawing my arm in with the jointer or planer. That might be different if I was using a lathe or drill press, but I don’t wear gloves for those.

These picture of the gloves shows the wear on the gripping surface that would have been on my hands.

This is the first time I’ve seen mention of an apron as a safety device.

I assume the idea is that it would soften the blow from a kick-back?

I dunno. Everyone has to draw their own “safety box”. Mine has been called into question here. I don’t really want to do that to someone else. Each of us has to consider both the up-side and the down-side to each aspect of safety in our shops.

For me I’m not really worried about any event that I’m almost certain to heal from completely. That’s really where I draw the line. Loosing some fingers or an eye…or discovering a few years down the road that I’m going to have to give up breathing…these things I take more seriously.

When it comes to a situation where it’s going to hurt like hell for a few minutes, or might even require a bandaid and a stiff drink…I’m less concerned about those.

-- Last week I finally got my $*i# together. Unfortunately, it was in my shop, so I will probably never find it again.

This is the first time I ve seen mention of an apron as a safety device.

I assume the idea is that it would soften the blow from a kick-back?

I dunno. Everyone has to draw their own “safety box”. Mine has been called into question here. I don t really want to do that to someone else. Each of us has to consider both the up-side and the down-side to each aspect of safety in our shops.

For me I m not really worried about any event that I m almost certain to heal from completely. That s really where I draw the line. Loosing some fingers or an eye…or discovering a few years down the road that I m going to have to give up breathing…these things I take more seriously.

When it comes to a situation where it s going to hurt like hell for a few minutes, or might even require a bandaid and a stiff drink…I m less concerned about those.

- JeffP

Just a little background, I am a DIYer by nature. I ended up in the computer business not through schooling, but through a natural curiosity to take things apart and put them back together, which led me down the hardware route at first. My curiosity and logic wired brain then led me into creating software and solving complex problems with code. I could of just as easily ended up a woodworker, general contractor, cabinet maker, had I been playing with wood instead of electronics.

I also try to fix anything I can around the house, do my own work on my Jeep, and play with guns and explosives.

I mention this to establish I am not stupid or up for any darwin awards.

I am not ‘scared’ of power tools, but I DO HAVE respect for them, just like I have RESPECT for firearms.

Since I have ZERO experience with REAL power tools, I am trying to figure out how to safely approach it.

Unfortunately, woodworking seems to be kind of a SOLO community. I do not personally know anyone that does this for a hobby, so it is hard to call up a buddy and say “Hey show me how to use my new track saw!”

...That said, I have a pair of leather gloves that are very tight fitting and they do not have the wrist drawstring that you find on many gloves. I really do not think that there is any safety issue with wearing these gloves. Any contact with the the tight glove would be a contact with my skin sans the glove. ...

Kazooman,

Those are exactly the gloves I was wearing when I had my tablesaw accident. I agree they should be alright when working with the planer but even the jointer might create an issue in my mind… (ps, my father lost two fingers on a Craftsman 6” jointer back in the 1950’s…)

Anyway, to the OP, I urge you to forgo any gloves working with powered woodworking tools. Take my word for it that it’s not worth the risk.

...That said, I have a pair of leather gloves that are very tight fitting and they do not have the wrist drawstring that you find on many gloves. I really do not think that there is any safety issue with wearing these gloves. Any contact with the the tight glove would be a contact with my skin sans the glove. ...

Kazooman,

Those are exactly the gloves I was wearing when I had my tablesaw accident. I agree they should be alright when working with the planer but even the jointer might create an issue in my mind… (ps, my father lost two fingers on a Craftsman 6” jointer back in the 1950 s…)

Anyway, to the OP, I urge you to forgo any gloves working with powered woodworking tools. Take my word for it that it s not worth the risk.

Good luck!

Be Careful!

Herb

- HerbC

I am glad I asked, and it makes total sense that they would potentially cause a much greater liability than any type of added benefit! Thanks for sharing your experience.

There’s virtually no foreseeable situation where having a glove on would prevent any kind of serious injury. About the only thing they’re good for is preventing splinters or nicks from sharp edges of wood.

Any kind of power tool mishap is going to involve so much force, speed, and sharpness that no glove could realistically protect you at all. Consider contact with a table saw, jointer, or planer blade. Any of those three are going to chew up a glove plus a few fingers if you come into contact with the blade.

For that reason, I wear gloves when doing demolition, when working with rough wood or metal, when working in the yard, and when finishing wood. I don’t wear gloves when woodworking.

With hand tools, I need dexterity and gloves take that away. With power tools, the gloves won’t do anything for me and might cause me to be less sensitive to the exact area my hands are currently occupying.

There are a number of threads on this subject. Gloves are dangerous on any machine with a spinning blade. The problem is that the glove can catch on the spinning blade, pull your hand in, and you end up with a much worse injury than if the blade had just cut the skin. Seems counterintuitive, but bare hands are the safest.

-- "Man is the only animal which devours his own, for I can apply no milder term to the general prey of the rich on the poor." ~Thomas Jefferson

I am not ‘scared’ of power tools, but I DO HAVE respect for them, just like I have RESPECT for firearms.

Since I have ZERO experience with REAL power tools, I am trying to figure out how to safely approach it.

If you can’t find a bit of free local help, why not take a class? You probably paid for a a firearms safety course. This could at least help you establish safe working practices and the understanding of the physics in each tool, then you could continue on your path to self discovery.

I have a friend who dropped a router bit and – by reflex – tried to catch it before it hit his concrete floor. In doing so, he sliced his hand…a leather or cut resistant glove might have prevented that.

He also reminded me that leather work shoes in the shop are also now a requirement – in case the router bit hit his foot, or if he drops a chisel, etc.

No loose clothing or gloves should be used when using machinery. Safety glasses and boots should also be used. After working over 40 years in woodworking plants it’s like second nature to me. Don’t forget the dust masks and hearing protection. I have lost some of my hearing working with molders for 20 years in spite of hearing protection.